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Did India get some tungsten bars in their last gold purchase?
tincup
Posts: 5,487 ✭✭✭✭✭
The link below is an interesting YouTube video... well, actually it is just an audio. But does have some interesting scenarios. For instance, they bring up the possibility that gold plated tungsten bars were in use in the early 70's, before Nixon did away with the gold standard. Also, they speculate that the central banks that are holding gold have known about the tungsten bars for some time, have tested their holdings and weened out the bad ones.... and sold them to Russia, China, India, etc. before these countries knew about the problem. And.... the ETF's may have quite a few of these also.
I don't know if there is any truth to the gold plated tungsten bar stories, but it is a fascinating scenario. And if a country does hold alot of these... I doubt that they would admit to it.
Gold and Tungsten
I don't know if there is any truth to the gold plated tungsten bar stories, but it is a fascinating scenario. And if a country does hold alot of these... I doubt that they would admit to it.
Gold and Tungsten
----- kj
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Who would benefit from this scenario? Any organization (or government) who wants to buy gold.
--Severian the Lame
Gold......... 79
Tungsten 74
I don't think so
<< <i>Atomic weight of Lead ....... 82
Gold......... 79
Tungsten 74
I don't think so
That's not how it works. The density of pure gold and pure tungsten are both 19.3 g/cc. You are quoting atomic numbers.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
TD
I assume the tungsten bars are gold plated. Wouldn't it be easy to cut the edge to check for a silver color? Would the ring test differentiate the two metals? Hang the bar from a wire and tap it with a small hammer.
One could make a tungsten core bar with a generous outer layer of gold (1/4"?) that would have the right s.g., weight, ring tone, etc. Anyone doing detailed ultrasonic, thermal or electrical conductance testing on the bars would notice the difference.
roadrunner
<< <i>I wonder if a simple, non-destructive x-ray would detect an inclusion? >>
Since gold is denser than lead, I doubt an X-ray would penetrate sufficiently to "see inside" the bar.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>
<< <i>I wonder if a simple, non-destructive x-ray would detect an inclusion? >>
Since gold is denser than lead, I doubt an X-ray would penetrate sufficiently to "see inside" the bar. >>
Not sure how it reacts. When the gold eagles came out in 1986, I flew to New York and came back through airport security with 100 of them in my suit coat pockets and did not set off the metal detectors.
TD